Tag Archives: the voice

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about everyone’s favorite part of Christmas…the music! It’s always so much fun to hear our favorite Christmas songs covered by amazing artists, so I thought that it would be fun to countdown ‘The Top 3 Christmas Covers of 2015’. One of these covers isn’t from an actual YouTube artist, but it was so amazing that I just had to include it. So now let’s get to the music! Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!

3) ‘Silent Night – Jason Chen x Marie Digby x Ana Free’:

The first cover that we’re going to talk about is Jason Chen, Marie Digby, and Ana Free’s cover of Silent Night. This is a true Christmas classic that has been covered by numerous artists, but never gets old. I really love his cover because we get to experience 3 amazing vocalists who are able to show us a unique rendition of this song that you will definitely not forget.

Ok I have to admit that I’m soooo obsessed with this cover, and trust me after listening to it you will be too! If you have heard any of Kurt Hugo Schneider’s covers then you know that he makes beautiful and brilliant musical arrangements, however this has to be one of his best ideas ever. ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ is already an amazing song that we all love, but performing the entire song in a minor key gives the song a hauntingly beautiful quality that will have you pressing that replay button again and again.

1)‘Mary Did You Know – Cover by Jordan Smith’:

Now we’ve reached the #1 spot! Although Jordan isn’t a YouTuber, I couldn’t resist putting this INCREDIBLE cover on the list. This rendition not only shows off Jordan’s amazing talent and range as a vocalist, but also shows us that he is a true entertainer that can instantly mesmerize his audience. As soon as you see this incredible cover you will seriously want to hop over to iTunes and buy it because it is so insanely beautiful. The only thing that you will be left wondering after hearing this cover is how is he going to top this amazing performance. I know we all can’t wait to see!

All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, thetimesweekly.com, Jason Chen, Marie Digby, Ana Free, Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Chase Holfelder, Mariah Carey, Columbia Records, Walter Afanasieff, Jordan Smith, The Voice, NBC, John de Moi, Mark Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Stijn Bakkers, Lee Metzger, Ashley Baumann, Amanda Borden, Carson Daly, Keith Dinielli, May Johnson, Bart Kimball, Michael Matsumoto, David Offenheiser, Dan Paschen, Kyley Tucker, Teddy Valenti, Warner Horizon Television, Mark Burnett Productions, One Three Media, United Artists Media Group, Endemol Group, Talpa, Tien, Warner Bros. Television Distribution, Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene, Michael English, Gaither Vocal Band, all of the people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc mentioned and/or shown in any hauls and/or any videos used and/or mentioned in this blog post, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to talk about something that we all go through. Whether it involves a band, actor, book, or song, we are all fangirls (and fanboys…don’t think I’m leaving the guys out of this one). Whether you keep your fangirling to yourself, or you have a twitter account completely dedicated to the loves of your life, we all usually have one thing in common…eventually our ships sink. However, thanks to the internet one very lucky little 3 year old girl named Mila got to meet her celebrity crush face to face. Now I know that you have all heard about this one, but honestly this story was so sweet I just couldn’t resist sharing it with y’all (and you know you wanna watch it again).

In an interview a few days ago with Ellen DeGeneres, Mila’s mother explained that she told Mila about Adam getting married in a grocery store, and immediately changed the subject when Mila freaked out (didn’t we all), but then she decided to tell Mila again and film it (again I think we all would have done this). Ellen invited Mila on to her show so they could talk about love, Mila’s relationship with Adam, their wedding plans, etc., you know typical girl stuff. After receiving a really cool Adam themed outfit (yeah Ellen I’m gonna need to know where I can get one of those), Mila actually got to meet Adam. Unfortunately for Adam, Mila seemed to be over the relationship, but she did keep the rose he brought her (good girl!). It is such a cute video that y’all all have to check out. So now that Mila has successfully lived out every fangirl’s dream, what will she do next? Blockbuster Hollywood movie? Walk the runways at the next Fashion Week? MIla for president in 2016? Whatever she does, Mila will always be an inspirations to fangirls everywhere!

All credit goes to YouTube, Mila, Mila’s mother, Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Levine, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, zimbio.com, all of the businesses, companies, people, stores, and any other original owners involved and/or mentioned in any of these videos, any and all companies, individuals, and/or businesses that should receive credit for anything mentioned in this blog post, and all original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ blog post, we are going to discuss an amazing new country singer that you ALL need to keep a close eye on. This talented young musician is an extremely talented writer, guitarist, and vocalist who is quickly on the verge of becoming country music’s next big star. Remember the name Hailey Steele everyone, because you will be hearing this name EVERYWHERE very soon! Hailey already has a very impressive resume, due to her appearances on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ (as a part of a country duo called ‘THE LINE’, she was on Team Christina) and Jay Leno’s ‘The Tonight Show’. She has also has had the honor of sharing the stage with legends such as Willie Nelson and Neil Young. She has also had the honor of being inducted into the South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame. Hailey is currently signed with BMG Chrysalis Nashville (where she is signed to an exclusive songwriting deal, and has even co-written on fellow ‘The Voice’ alum and country music recording artist RaeLynn’s single ‘Boyfriend’) and is set to release her debut EP on November 18th, 2014. So needless to say, Hailey an artist on the rise please read on so you don’t fall behind.

Hailey uploaded her first original song on YouTube on March 4th, 2012. The song is entitled ‘Electric Blue’ (ELECTRiC BLUE – HAiLEY STEELE) and I think that it is an excellent introduction to just how talented Hailey is. I love how Hailey is instantly able to capture your attention, and leave you under her spell for the duration of the song. This ability really shows just how much of a natural star Hailey is, because not only is she singing while playing the guitar (not an easy task because you have to focus on multiple things at once), but she’s also performing the song in such a way that once the song ends, you instantly want to hear more. The next song that we have to talk about is Hailey’s performance of ‘Boyfriend’ (Hailey Steele – Boyfriend, uploaded on October 6th, 2013) by RaeLynn. I really loved hearing this version of the song, because Hailey and RaeLynn have very different tones and styles, so it is fun to hear this song performed in a fresh way. I loved that Hailey was able to really bring out the sass and attitude in this song, and she definitely makes you just wanna get up and dance. Since ‘Electric Blue’ was a more heartfelt, emotional song, I thought that ‘Boyfriend’ was a fun contrast, and it definitely proves that Hailey is a well rounded artist that can make you cry one minute and then get up and dance the next. The final song that we are going to talk about in this post is my FAVORITE song on Hailey’s YouTube channel, entitled ‘Diamonds’ (Diamonds-Hailey Steele), which she uploaded on January 12th, 2014. I really love this song because it’s fun, catchy, and has a great message that everyone can relate to (basically all of the ingredients to a perfect song in my opinion). I definitely think that this song could be a MAJOR hit, and it makes me excited to see what Hailey will release next. I really love when a songwriter is able to express exactly what they feel through a song, but still make it something that you can jam out to, and Hailey definitely accomplishes this task.

So as y’all can see, I have become a HUGE Hailey Steele fan, and I think once you hear her music, you will be too! It’s not often that an artist has a special something about them that makes you unable to turn away, and Hailey definitely has that quality. I am very excited to see where this talented artist’s career leads her, and all the AWESOME things she is going to be able to accomplish along the way. As Hailey says in her soon to be hit song ‘Diamonds’, “Diamonds take pressure, and patience, and time”. Well it is definitely this diamond’s time to shine!

All photos and information used in this blog belong to Hailey Steele, RaeLynn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, NBC, THE LINE, The Voice, Willie Nelson, Christina Aguilera, The Tonight Show, Jay Leno, Neil Young, the South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame, The city of Nashville, The State of Tennessee, The State of South Dakota, BMG Chrysalis Nashville, Valory records, Big Machine Records, Universal Music Group, Leland Grant, Nicolle Galyon, Abbi Roth, Piper Rastello, Josh Harrell, Chris Gelbuda, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to discuss one of the most important nights in Country music…the CMT Awards! This award show had it all, great artists, a hilarious host, fun performances, and lots of beards (I promise I’ll explain this later. Veteran host Kristen Bell was back again, only this time she hosted the show solo. If you missed the show, don’t worry I’ll catch you up. Are you ready? Are you sure? I’m just kidding, of course you are…ok let’s get started.

The 2014 CMT awards were hosted by award winning actress Kristen Bell (probably best known for her roles in ‘Veronica Mars’, ‘Frozen’, and as the voice of ‘Gossip Girl’ on, you guessed it, Gossip Girl. The opening sketch begins with Kristen on accounts depressed because she didn’t have a co-host to help host the show. She was then held by two former co-stars who introduced her to an app called Holla (which is supposed to be like Tinder only “more country”). She went on a number of “dates” with several men but was unlucky in finding a co-host. She was then given a pep talk by her former co-stars and decided to embrace the concept of girl power and host the show solo. When she went into the hallway to begin the show several country music stars gave her “advice”, which only made her more nervous. When she went to the elevator, she found Luke Bryan trying to break up the guys from Florida Georgia Line, who were fighting Solage/Jay-Z style. When the show began Kristen rose from under the stage and informed the audience that they wouldn’t have to worry about Luke Bryan falling off the stage tonight (the camera then panned to Luke who was wrapped in police caution tape). She then declared that the CMT awards would be ladies night and said that the power invested in her by CMT and her princess title in the movie ‘Frozen’ gave her the power to do so ( yup that made it official!). She then sang a song about male country artists having very tight jeans and belt buckles there were too large. After Alan Jackson was honored, later on the show, Kristen came out dressed exactly like Alan Jackson, beard and all (see told you there would be beards in this blog). She then poked fun at the Billboard Music Awards’ use of a Michael Jackson hologram by saying that she had a Jason Aldean hologram, but it was only comedian Tom Arnold. Later on in the show Kristen said that she forgot to make the VIP gift bags, so she “took” several objects from numerous artists such as Eric Church’s sunglasses, Luke Brian’s hat (which he knew nothing about) and The Band Perry’s trophy. As you can see Kristen did an excellent job hosting the CMT Awards, and had us laughing, singing, and constantly wondering what hilarious joke she would make next. I really hope that she hosts the show again next year because with Kristen Bell, you never know what is going to happen, but you know you’re going to love every minute of it. Now let’s get to the awards!

Winners:

Group Video of the Year:

The Band Perry ‘Done’

Although the competition was extremely stiff, it makes sense that The Band Perry won this award, due to the critical acclaim that this song has received from critics and fans, and the amount of radio play it had last year. Ever since the group’s breakout hit ‘If I Die Young’, The Band Perry has made their presence known in country music.

Breakthrough Video of the Year:

Cassadee Pope ‘Wasting all these Tears’

Cassadee has certainly had an amazing 2 years, after winning the 3rd season of ‘The Voice’. Since then, she has had a top charting debut album, has perform with numerous amazing Country music artists, and has successfully transitioned into a well respected country/pop artist. Because of all of his hard work, it definitely doesn’t come as a surprise that Cassadee won at the CMT awards. My favorite part of her win was when Blake Shelton (Cassadee’s coach on ‘The Voice’), not only announced her win, but also “coached” her when he directed her to give her acceptance speech after she became too overwhelmed with emotion to speak.

Impact Award:

Alan Jackson

With an amount of awards that must require another house to hold, and decades of hits, I can see why Alan Jackson is considered an artist with vast impact. I also loved all of the respect that the crowd gave Alan Jackson after he won the award; it was really heartfelt to see all of the admiration in the room. I also thought it was really sweet that Alan Jackson seemed like he wanted to cry when he received his award, it was nice to see how appreciative he was, despite the fact that he is a legend.

Male Video of the Year:

Blake Shelton ‘Doin’ What She Likes’

Again, this is a category that had some stiff competition, but it was no surprise that Blake came out on top. ‘The Voice’ coach and Country music superstar has definitely had a track record for winning awards with his chart topping hits lately, so it was obvious that his odds of winning this award were high. Congrats Mr. Shelton!

CMT Performance of the Year:

Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie ‘Oh No/All Night Long’

Ok, I think we ALL saw this coming. When you take Country star Luke Bryan, and R&B/Soul superstar Lionel Richie, and have them perform together, greatness happens. I was honestly very surprised when I first saw this performance because I found the combination to be an interesting choice, but once I saw the performance, I couldn’t believe that it took so long to get these two artists together. My only hope now is that they perform together again. Maybe they could form a Country/Pop/Soul power duo!?! Please!!!

Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan:

Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan ‘This is How We Roll’

Ever since this song first dropped, it has been ruling radio airwaves and is definitely a fan favorite (it peaked at #1 on the U.S. Country Hot Songs chart and #2 on the U.S. Country Airplay chart). Because of how infectious and catchy this track is, the appeal and longevity of the song is easy to understand.

Female Video of the Year:

Miranda Lambert ‘Automatic’

Yeah, just like we said earlier about Blake Shelton earlier, Miranda is also currently dominating award show season. With talent, fun tracks, and just a dash of a Rock n’ Roll influence in her songs, Miranda is definitely inspiring change in Country music, and fans are loving it.

Duo Video of the Year:

Florida Georgia Line ‘Round Here’

Ever since this amazing duo first released their album ‘Here’s to the Good Times’ (which peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on U.S. Top Country Albums charts), they have been ruling Country radio with their feel good, party music. Because of this, it is completely understandable as to why this duo has also ruled award season.

Video of the Year:

Carrie Underwood ‘See You Again’

Carrie has taken the music industry by storm ever since she won American Idol, and hasn’t slowed down since. She’s released hit after hit, so it was no surprise that fans loved ‘See You Again’ too. Carrie is also known for releasing great and often powerful music videos, and the ‘See You Again’ video is no exception. The video is beautifully shot, and definitely showcases the emotion found in the lyrics.

Performances:

ZZ Top, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, and Jason Derulo:

The show began with Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill of ZZ Top kicking off the show, and then Florida Georgia line appeared and began performing ‘This is How We Roll’. Luke Bryan then came out joined in on the next portion of the song. The staging was really cool, and used multicolored lights and smoke to add extra flair to the performance. Before ‘This is How We Roll’ finished, Jason Derulo came out and everyone joined him in performing his latest single ‘Talk Dirty’. The backboard of the stage then displayed pictures of multicolored lips (which was awesome!), and Jason, Luke, and the guys from Florida Georgia Line all began dancing. Then, everyone on stage finished ‘This is How We Roll’, which was the PERFECT ending to this amazing opening number.

Danielle Bradbery:

‘The Voice’ season 4 winner Danielle Bradbery made her CMT performance debut by performing a snippet of her latest single ‘Young in America’ on the ‘Nationwide’ stage (which is the stage where the new artists perform). The performance was short, but showed the same unique qualities that made fans fall in love with her on ‘The Voice’.

Lindsey Sterling:

Lindsey Sterling presented an award at the show, but before she did, she demonstrated her AMAZING skills on the violin. As always, Lindsey did a PHENOMINAL job and made her playing (and dancing…while she was playing) seem effortless.

Hunter Hayes:

Hunter Hayes was up next, and performed a track entitled ‘Tattoo’ off of his sophomore album ‘Storyline’. The performance was really fun to watch, and the staging featured blue spotlights shooting out everywhere. The audience seemed to really love Hunter, and as always he wasn’t short on energy during his performance (he jumped around A LOT…and I mean a lot). He finished the performance with an amazing guitar solo that really had the audience excited.

Kacey Musgraves & Lee Ann Womack:

These two amazing Country music singers performed the song ‘Living on Love’, as a tribute to Country music legend Alan Jackson (who received the first ever ‘Impact Award’). During Kacey and Lee Ann’s performance, clips from Alan Jackson’s music videos were played on the stage’s back screen. It was a really touching performance, and I really loved how Alan Jackson looked as if he was going to cry during the performance, it was a very nice moment.

Tyler Farr:

Next up was new artist Tyler Farr, who performed a snippet of his hit heartbreak theme song ‘Redneck Crazy’. If you listened to Country music radio at all this past year, then you have heard this song.

Keith Urban:

Country star and ‘American Idol’ coach Keith Urban was up next, and performed an acoustic version of his hit song ‘Cop Car’. He performed via video, from the ‘Bluebird Cafe’ (a historical cafe where numerous Country music stars have been discovered) in Nashville. The song was definitely a different sound for the star, because the performance did not include an amazing guitar solo (which has become Keith’s signature move). But hey, you gotta love an artist who keeps you on your toes.

Jake Owen:

Jake Owen then performed his new song ‘Beachin’ on the ‘Kia Outdoor Performance Stage’. The staging really brought the vibe of the song to life, and made the performance really fun to watch. The audience threw beach balls in the air, and the back screens on the stage showed images of beach balls (lots of beach balls in this performance). The vibe of the song was a really cool fusion of Country and Rap music, and the high energy in the track kept the audience dancing.

Eric Church & Lizzy Hale (from the band Halestorm):

Now this was a really interesting and unexpected duet. The two artists performed ‘That’s Damn Rock & Roll’ off of Eric’s newest album ‘The Outsiders’. Eric wore his signature dark sunglasses, and both he and Lizzy played the guitar. The performance had a very 70s/80s Rock n’ Roll feel to it, and drove the crowd crazy (in a good way don’t worry). It was cool to see such a different type of performance on the CMT awards, and really went with this year’s theme of introducing various different genres in the show.

Thomas Rhett:

New artist Thomas Rhett performed a snippet of his new track ‘Get Me Some of That’. This track (and Thomas’ other hit song ‘It Goes Like This’), have been all over Country radio over the past few years. His performance was very energetic, and he was very confident, so I can definitely see that he will have a lot of staying power as a Country artist.

John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, and Hunter Hayes:

Next up, Jennifer Nettles joined John Legend in a special duet rendition of his hit track ‘All of Me’, with Hunter Hayes on the guitar. This version definitely strayed from John Legend’s original version, and had a more bluegrass vibe to it. However, this change was not surprising due to the fact that Hunter was asked to produce the new version. I really loved how the revisions gave the track such a fresh feel, that it almost seemed like an entirely new song. I definitely hope that these three work together in the future.

Dierks Bentley:

Dierks Bentley performed his new track ‘Drunk on a Plane’. He came on stage playing a guitar, and had dancers who were dressed like flight attendants, and danced down the main aisle leading to the stage. They also danced around boxes off and on stage at different points of the performance. The staging was really simple (the back screen was red with yellow circles), but the dancers were a unique touch.

Cole Swindell:

New artist Cole Swindell performed a snippet of his hit track ‘Chillin It’, which contains a cool fusion of Country and Rap influences. Cole kept the crowd engaged, seems confident in stage, and was just “chillin’ it” (sorry I had to make that joke).

Brantley Gilbert:

Brantley Gilbert definitely had a physically demanding performance with his track ‘Bottoms Up’. Brantley continued the trend of being a little Rock n’ Roll into the CMTs, by rocking a camouflage muscle shirt, blue jeans, a cap, and having a drummer in his band who rocked a Mohawk. My favorite part of the performance was definitely Brantley’s back flip off of one of the small stages that the drum kit was set up on. After he did this really cool back flip, walked around in the crowd as he sang (which the audience absolutely LOVED). It was certainly a fun performance that made the fans at the show fall more and more in love with Brantley Gilbert.

Dan + Shay:

One of the newest duos to bust onto the Country music scene is Dan + Shay, who performs their incredibly infectious love song ’19 You + Me’. Although they were only able to perform a snippet of the track, both guys had very strong live vocals, and left the impression that they are a duo to watch this year.

Luke Bryan:

Country music superstar Luke Bryan was up next, and performed his latest hit ‘Play it Again’. Luke tried something different with his performance, and entered from the back of the venue, and made his way through the crowd to the stage. Above where Luke entered, there was a sign that read ‘OMG Play it Again’ (this was sort of awesome…ok it was really awesome). As Luke traveled through the crowd, he touched the fans’ hands, which made them go completely crazy. Once Luke was onstage, he danced around (I think there was some minor twerking involved), and drove all of the people in the audience crazy (particularly the women). The performance definitely showed why Luke is currently one of the top guys in Country music…and this doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

Lady Antebellum:

Next up was the phenomenal trio Lady Antebellum. They performed their newest hit ‘Bartender’, at the ‘Kia Outdoor Performance Stage’. The staging was really cool, and had amazing green and white lazer lights that shot out at the audience. The laser lights definitely added a cool “concert” vibe to the performance, and helped hype up the audience during the performance.

David Nail:

Next up was a new artist who you definitely heard on Country music radio this year. David Nail performed a snippet of his track ‘Whatever She’s Got’, and although it was a short performance, he did a great job. His live voice sounded very similar to his voice on the studio recorded track, and he seemed to be very comfortable on stage.

Little Big Town:

Little Big Town performed their newest track ‘Day Drinking’. One thing that really brought attention to the group was the fact that the stage, the instruments, and all if Little Big Town, were dressed in the same shade of bright white. The back board of the stage had really cool grey and black patterns, and lots of white spotlights. At the end of the performance, multicolored streamers fell on the crowd (which they went absolutely nuts over).

Blake Shelton:

Country superstar/’The Voice’ coach performed his fan favorite ‘Boys ‘Round Here’. The staging had the frame of the front of a house (which was a nod to the track’s music video. Blake did an extremely good job, and proved that his knowledge of music/performance is one of the reasons why he has had such success finding artists who transition into the mainstream music scene (one of his former contestants Danielle Bradbery performed, and another one his contestants, Cassadee Pope won an award). So needless to say, it was a good night for Blake.

Brett Eldredge:

Brett Eldredge was the last new artist to perform on the ‘Nationwide Stage’ (the new artist stage). He performed a snippet of his radio hit ‘Beat of the Music’. I thought that Brett did a really good job with his performance, because he was confident, looked liked he had fun, and definitely had the audience dancing to “the beat of the music”.

Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood:

Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood wrapped up the show with their performance of their new duet ‘Something Bad’. With this performance, the two country superstars proved why they are powerful forces in Country music. They wore very tight, black, short outfits, which added a Rock n’ Roll feel to the performance. There were lots of cool spotlights, and Carrie and Miranda danced around and got the audience really into their performance. They definitely proved that they are Country girls who can rock…and we all loved every minute of it.

Well as y’all can see, the CMT Awards was unpredictable, fun, and certainly showcased all of the bright stars of Country music. I loved how artists from numerous other genres of music also participated in the show, and demonstrated just how universal music really is. The show also had the perfect blend of featuring artists that we know and love, and introducing us to the stars of tomorrow. It will be hard to top this year’s show, but I have faith in you CMT.

All photos and information used in this blog belong to CMT, all those involved in the conception, organization, implementation, sponsorship, and is in any other way associated with the CMT Awards, Kristen Bell, all those involved in the conception, organization, implementation, sponsorship, and is in any other way associated with Tinder, Solage, Jay-Z, Tom Arnold, The Band Perry, Cassadee Pope, Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, ZZ Top, Jason Derulo, Danielle Bradbery, Lindsey Sterling, Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Lee Ann Womack, Tyler Farr, Keith Urban, Jake Owen, Eric Church, Lizzy Hale, Thomas Rhett, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, Dierks Bentley, Cole Swindell, Brantley Gilbert, Dan + Shay, Lady Antebellum, David Nail, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, dailymail.co.uk, Brett Eldridge, aftermidnite.com, any and all of the labels involved in the show and its’ participants, any all other companies, and people were credit is due, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On this ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we are going to talk about an emerging star that is on the brink of being the next big pop super star. This incredibly talented guy is an actor, dancer, model, vocalist, and even plays the guitar, piano, and the ukulele! (I know that last one is so random but completely awesome right?!) Who is this multitalented guy you may ask? It’s Max Schneider!!!! (Cue the applause clap, clap, clap!).

Max was born in June of 1992 in New York, and began performing for family and friends at the age of 3. He began his professional career in the Broadway musical ‘13’, which was written by Broadway veteran Jason Robert Brown, and opened in New York October of 2008. ‘13’was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (which honors Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions), and its Broadway run consisted of 105 performances and 22 previews. After ‘13’, Max appeared in numerous hit shows such as ‘Law and Order SVU’ and ‘One Life to Live’. In January of 2010 he was chosen to participate in the YoungArts Program in Miami, FL (which is a program in which “talented young artists in the literary, performing, visual and design arts” take master classes from industry veterans, and make connections to help them receive admission into top colleges/conservatories and in the job market….in other words this is THE program to be a part of if you want a career in the entertainment industry, good job Max!). So after completing this program, Max was featured in the Fall/Winter 2010 ad campaign for fashion super house ‘Dolce & Gabbana’, which also featured MADONNA, (Yup the pop icon, super business women, one of the most powerful people to ever walk the earth Madonna)!The ad was released in August of 2010, and seen all over the world.

After this, Max booked the role of Lance in the film ‘The Last Keepers. In 2011 he filmed the pilot for a Nickelodeon show called ‘How to Rock’, (I loved that show!!!), and the show aired in February of 2012. Later in 2012, Max starred in a Nickelodeon movie musical called ‘Rags’ (which was a Cinderella inspired movie about a guy named Charlie who is an awesome singer and dancer, and he falls for a pop star, who is played by TV and movie veteran Keke Palmer. I won’t tell you what else happens, but it’s a really cool movie with a terrific soundtrack, so check it out!). Even though ‘How to Rock’ was cancelled after 1 season, Max co-wrote a song called ‘Last One Standing’ for the show, he also wrote a song called ‘Show You How To Do’ for the hit Disney show ‘Shake It Up’.

Although Max has continued to work as an actor in various films and TV shows, he has also had a successful career as a musician. In October of 2009, Max began to release cover videos of popular songs on YouTube, and in 2010 he released an EP called ‘First Encounters’, on ITunes. In the summer of 2012 Max opened for Victoria Justice on her ‘Making It In America’ tour, and released three cover videos with Victoria on YouTube (the videos were a Bruno Mars Medley, a Maroon 5 Medley, and a Holiday Medley…YouTube super producer Kurt Hugo Schneider also worked on these covers, so you NEED to see them…well finish reading this blog, share it with your friends and then see the video. Ok? Yay!) . (Link to Max and Victoria’s ‘Bruno Mars Cover Medley’: Bruno Mars Medley! – Victoria Justice & Max Schneider.) In May of 2013, Max dropped his latest original single called ‘Nothing Without Love’, and the official music video for the song. (Link to ‘Nothing Without Love’: “Nothing Without Love” – Max Schneider (Official Music Video).) His latest single was well received by his “Schneider Monkeys” (this is what Max calls his fans), and he has continued to release cover videos by himself, as well as collaborating with many well known YouTube stars. Here’s one of my personal favorites, Max and Danny Padilla’s cover of One Republic’s hit ‘Counting Stars’: “Counting Stars”- One Republic (Max Schneider (MAX) & Danny Padilla Cover). Max is definitely a star on the rise, and someone who I believe will have an iron grip on the music and film/TV industry very soon.

Check out Max on his social media sites (and if you want to send him the link to this blog that would be AMAZING too…just sayingJ)

(Oh and on a side not, most of Max’s covers are available for purchase on ITunes, so I would check them out!)

All photos and information used in this blog belong to Max Schneider, Nickelodeon, Jason Robert Brown, Dolce & Gabbana, Madonna, Victoria Justice, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Danny Padilla, schneidermonkey49, nicktopia.com, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. Thank You!

Hello people of the internet!!! Ok, last Wednesday (November 6th) was the 47th annual CMA awards and A LOT of stuff happened. Ready? Ok, let’s get started!

Hosts:

Once again the talented and hilarious duo of Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley hosted the CMAs. The duo’s monologue included many funny moments including a rendition of ‘Why can’t we be friends’ which discussed celebrity feuds. The actual feud between Zac Brown of The Zac Brown Band and Luke Bryan was finally settled when the two singers hugged (awww!). As well as the feud among the Jonas Brothers, the feud between Sinead O’Connor and Miley Cyrus, as well as the feud between Jimmy Kimmel and Kanye West. The opening scene of the show also included a parody of ‘Blurred Lines’, where Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and the cast of ‘Duck Dynasty’ imitated Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s performance at the 2013 VMAs. The final laugh of the night for the duo was a joke about the frustration that the American public has had with the Obamacare Health Plan, which was set to the tune of ‘Amarillo by Morning’ by George Strait. All in all the banter between Carrie and Brad was really great, and once again showed what a great and hilarious team they make.

Winners:

Single of the Year: ‘Cruise’ by Florida Georgia Line

This infectious song was all over country and mainstream radio this summer and was even remixed with the help of Hip Hop recording artist Nelly. Cross-over radio popularity and a killer remix on the first single of a new album?!…I can definitely see more success in this duo’s future.

Song of the Year: ‘I drive your truck’ by Lee Brice

This heartwarming song about a fallen Afghanistan solider and the father who mourns him is performed with such powerful emotion by Lee Brice that I can see why this song deserved the title of ‘song of the year’.

Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line

I think the success of cruise explains why this duo deserves the award.

New Artist of the Year: Kacey Musgrave

Although Kacey experienced previous success with her single ‘Merry Go Round’, her career was never the same when ITunes featured ‘Blowin Smoke’ as the ‘free single of the week’. With her new single ‘Follow your Arrow’ blowing up the charts, and her work on Miranda Lambert’s song ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, Kacey is definitely an artist to watch.

In my opinion this music video is not only a great PSA about the dangers of texting and driving, but a piece of art. When I first saw this video, I was captivated from beginning to end. I definitely believe that this was the music video of the year.

Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award: Kenny Rogers

Really what can be said about the legendary Kenny Rogers?! With more than 120 hit singles, 130 million records sold worldwide, numerous Grammys/AMAs/ACMs/CMAs, and a career that began in 1958 and is still going strong, I think that his credentials speak for themselves.

Album of the Year: ‘Based on a True Story’ by Blake Shelton

From the party anthem ‘Boys Round Here’, to the emotional ballad ‘Mine Would be You’, Blake’s latest album has so much versatility and honesty that it is easy to see why this album was a favorite this year

Pinnacle Award: Taylor Swift

Now I know that we all know who this artist is, I mean she somehow knows every detail of our lives and writes songs about it, so she’s everyone’s BFF right? Well her beautiful voice and incredible songwriting ability has helped her receive this prestigious award at the tender age of 23. Not bad Taylor!

Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town

With previous hits ‘Pontoon’ and ‘Tornado’, this is a group that couldn’t miss. Also, their harmonies, and pure vocal chops are always on point, which was evident by their performance of their new single ‘Sober’ on the very night they won this award.

Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert

With a long career of hits (most recently ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, ‘We were Us’, and ‘All Kinds of Kinds’, Miranda is definitely the woman to beat, and she once again let all know on one of country music’s biggest nights.

Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton

Blake once again proves why he has had such great success finding incredible talent on the ‘Voice’; on Wednesday he showed that he is the man to beat by becoming the male “voice” of country music for this year.

Entertainer of the Year: George Strait

Although many amazing artists were nominated for this award, “King” George proves that he still has it after all these years by topping country music with this coveted award.

Performances:

There were so many amazing performances this year so let’s get started!

The show kicked off with Luke Bryan performing a shortened version of his hit ‘My Kinda Night’, which also included a snippet of ‘Cruise’ with Florida Georgia Line, and then the artists all finished ‘My Kinda Night’. The performance of these two songs was entertaining, from the amazing vocals, to the staging and lighting, it was such a great way to open the show.

Jason Aldean sang his song ‘Night Train’ later in the show, and the staging was incredible. Jason performed in a manufactured train box car with a background screen which displayed trees, and dark lights shadowed the stage.

New Artist of the Year Kacey Musgrave performed her new hit ‘Follow Your Arrow’, which displayed her ability to captivate a crowd without theatrics.

Power trio Lady Antebellum performed their newest single ‘Compass’, which was made complete by the trio’s stunning vocals, as well as the background screen which had revolving pictures of compasses, roads, and people on horses.

Group Little Big Town played their hit ‘Sober’, which placed their outstanding vocals front and center. The presence of candles in a circle around the stage further added to the ballad.

Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert displayed why their new single ‘We were Us’ has been burning up the charts, by giving an electrifying performance of the song.

Next up was country superstar Taylor Swift’s epic performance of her song ‘Red’, with country legends Alison Krauss and Vince Gill, as well as Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, and Eric Darken. The softer take of the track definitely added a new dimension to it, which made an amazing song even better.

Florida Georgia Line appeared once again, and this time performed their hit ‘Round Here’, which once again showed how amazing the duo is.

The next performance was by Hunter Hayes and Jason Mraz, who performed their duet version of Hunter’s hit song ‘Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me’. The performance showcased both artists’ vocal talent, as well as Hunter’s amazing guitar skills. Which ended with Hunter presenting the New Artist of the Year Award to Kacey Musgrave.

Eric Church performed his new song ‘The Outsiders’ next, which was spectacularly performed with the assistance of smoke, lights, fire, and a cool guitar solo.

The Band Perry was up next with their new song ‘Don’t Let me be Lonely’, which was spectacular due to the band’s stellar vocals and amazing special effects.

Next up, Tim McGraw performed his newest hit ‘Southern Girl’, which showed that like a wine, country superstars only get better with time (sorry for the unintentional rhyming).

Blake Shelton was next with his emotional ballad ‘Mine Would be You’, which showed off the Male Vocalist of the Year’s “voice”.

Internet sensations Lennon and Maisy performed a unique cover of ‘You Belong with Me’ to Taylor Swift right before she was presented with the Pinnacle Award, which resulted in a sweet moment among the three vocalist, in which Taylor hugged Maisy, which was immediately followed by video testimonies by numerous artists that Taylor opened up for when she was a new artist.

Carrie Underwood performed amazingly as usual, her performance included renditions of her hit songs ‘Good Girl’, ‘Blown Away’, ‘Two Black Cadillacs’, and ‘See You Again’. While she performed, clips of all of Carrie’s music videos appeared on the screen behind her.

Country legends Alan Jackson and George Strait paid tribute to the iconic George Jones by with their breathtaking performance of George Jones’s hit song ‘He Stopped Loving her today’. As they performed the song, images of George Jones and his wife appeared on the screen behind Alan Jackson and George Strait.

The Zac Brown Band, with the assistance of Dave Grohl( of the the band ‘The Foo Fighters’), gave their new song ‘Day for the Dead’ a great debut due to their energetic performance.

Next up was Brad Paisley who performed his new single ‘Mona Lisa’, which was given extra character due to Brad’s shirt, which had an image of the Mona Lisa on it. Paisley not only showed off his amazing talent as a vocalist, but also did a breathtaking guitar solo that left the crowd in awe.

Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Kenny Rogers was honored next, with a medley of some of his hit songs performed by Jennifer Nettles(of country duo Sugarland), Darius Rucker, and Rascal Flatts. The number was made extra special when Kenny Rogers sang his classic hit ‘Islands in the Stream’ with Jennifer Nettles.

Darius Rucker closed the show with his performance of the song ‘Wagon Wheel’, which was unfortunately cut off mid performance, but was still wonderfully done.

So all in all, the 47th annual CMA awards were full of hilarious moments and amazing musical numbers. The show definitely did not disappoint, and made me excited for next year.

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